How to Replace a Lost or Damaged Work Permit?

A work permit that is lost, torn, faded or no longer usable can cause concern for many families and employers. The good news is that the law provides specifically for reissuing a work permit in these cases. You only need to prepare the right documents and submit them to the right place to have your application handled in accordance with the regulations.

📄 When can a work permit be reissued?

Under Article 23 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, a work permit that is still valid may be reissued in two main groups of cases.

The first group covers a work permit that is lost or damaged and unusable. This is a common practical situation when an employee moves house, stores documents carelessly, or the paper is torn, faded or damaged by water.

The second group applies when there is a change to one of the details recorded on a valid work permit. Specifically, this includes full name, nationality, passport number, or a change in the employer’s name without a change in the employer’s identification number.

Please note that a reissue only applies when the work permit is still valid. If the permit has expired, or if the employee wants to change their job position, form of work, or move to a different employer, a different procedure will need to be considered under the regulations. You can refer to Do Foreigners Working in Vietnam Need a Work Permit or an Exemption Certification? to distinguish the right type of document you need.

Distinguishing a reissue from other procedures

A reissue focuses on restoring or updating an existing work permit. The details on the permit do not change in terms of job position, employer or form of work, except where the employer’s name changes without a change in identification number.

Therefore, before submitting your application, the employer should carefully check whether the current permit is still valid and which information needs to be changed. Identifying the correct case from the start will help your application be accepted more smoothly.

🗂️ What documents are needed for a reissue application?

Article 24 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP sets out the documents required for a reissue application as follows:

• A written request for reissue of the work permit from the employer, using Form No. 03 issued with the Decree.
• 02 colour photos sized 4 cm x 6 cm, with a white background, facing the camera, bare-headed and without glasses.
• Documents proving the change in details where the full name, nationality, passport number or employer’s name has changed.
• The valid work permit that was issued, except where the permit has been lost.

So, if the permit is lost, you do not need to submit the original old permit. If the permit is only damaged, you need to submit the valid permit together with the application so the competent authority can compare the information.

For cases where information has changed, the supporting documents must match the change. For example, a change in passport number requires a document showing the new passport number, and a change in full name requires a document proving the new name in accordance with the regulations.

Document preparation checklist

• ☐ Written request for reissue of the work permit using Form No. 03, stating the reason for the reissue clearly
• ☐ 02 colour photos 4 cm x 6 cm, white background, facing the camera, bare-headed, without glasses
• ☐ Documents proving the change in details, if this is a case of changed information
• ☐ The valid work permit, except where it has been lost
• ☐ Double-check the full name, nationality, passport number and employer’s name before submitting

Preparing your documents using this checklist will help you avoid missing papers. If you are preparing an application for the first time, you can also look at What Documents Are Needed for a Work Permit Application? to understand the related documents more clearly.

📝 What is the procedure for reissuing a work permit?

Under Article 25 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, the reissue procedure is carried out in the following steps:

1. Submit the application: The employer submits the reissue application directly, or via the public postal service, or by hiring a business or individual service provider, or by authorising someone to submit it to the Public Administrative Service Centre in the locality where the foreign employee is working.
2. Forward the application: The Public Administrative Service Centre forwards the application under the one-stop, one-stop linked mechanism to the competent authority responsible for reissuing the work permit.
3. Review and reissue: Within 03 working days from the date of receiving a complete reissue application, the competent authority reissues the work permit to the foreign employee.
4. Cases where a reissue is not granted: If a work permit is not reissued, the competent authority must provide a written reply stating the reason clearly.

The 03-working-day period is counted from when the competent authority receives a complete and valid application. Therefore, preparing a complete application from the start is very important. If the application is incomplete or not yet correct, processing may take longer due to the need to supplement or amend documents.

Employers should also keep the receipt, contact information and follow the progress of the application. When you receive the result, check the information on the reissued permit carefully, especially the full name, passport number, job position, workplace and duration of work.

⏳ How long is the validity of a reissued work permit?

Article 26 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP provides that the validity of a reissued work permit is equal to the validity of the issued work permit minus the time the foreign employee has already worked, calculated up to the time of requesting the reissue.

In simple terms, a reissue does not create a new, additional period of validity. The remaining validity of the reissued permit corresponds to the time still in force under the original permit after deducting the time already worked.

As an illustration of the principle: if the original permit has a certain remaining validity and the employee has already worked for some time, the reissued permit will only cover the unused portion of that period. Therefore, employers should calculate the remaining time in advance so they can proactively plan an extension when needed, rather than waiting until the permit is about to expire.

You can learn more about What Is the Maximum Duration of a Work Permit? to get an overall view of permit validity and how the remaining time is calculated on a reissue.

⚠️ Practical notes for families and employers

When a work permit is lost, the employer should quickly review the information kept in the personnel file. Having copies, the permit number and passport information available will make preparing the reissue application easier.

If the permit is damaged but the information is still readable, keep the original to submit with the application. If the permit is completely lost, state the reason clearly in the written request using Form No. 03.

In cases where the full name, nationality or passport number has changed, ensure that the supporting documents for the change are consistent. The information on the reissued permit will be based on the documents provided by the employer.

In addition, families and employees should stay in touch with the employer’s human resources department so they can promptly supplement documents if requested by the competent authority. You can also refer to How Long Does the Work Permit Approval Process Take? to proactively arrange your work and daily life.

Reissuing a work permit may seem straightforward, but it still requires care with each document. Preparing correctly, submitting to the right place and following the progress will make this process gentler for both the employee and the family.

If you need support to find information or prepare your application, please contact 0347674755 – fast, reliable via the website https://paa.vn for clear, dedicated advice tailored to each specific case.